The belly fat roll – it hangs over your jeans and reminds you of your failed fad diets and sporadic exercise routines. As if making you self-conscious is not enough, belly fat is dangerous because it surrounds your vital organs and increases your risk for cardiovascular disease. It's time to banish the muffin top for good.

Step 1

Cut 500 calories from your daily calorie intake. There are 3,500 calories in 1 pound of fat, so cutting 500 calories from your daily intake allows you to lose 1 pound per week. Reduce portion sizes by 15 percent and eat mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy. Instead of guessing how many calories you consume, write down all beverages and food items you consume so you know exactly how much you're eating. Once you get a hang of eating healthy, it becomes a lifestyle.

Step 2

Read the nutrition labels on low-fat foods. If a product says “low fat” or “reduced fat,” it can still pack a lot of calories if the item is high in simple carbohydrates. Your body needs fats for energy, but you need moderate amounts of good fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Good fats are found in fish, nuts and some vegetable oils. Healthy fat intake consists of 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories, with no more than 7 percent of your calories coming from saturated fats, according to the American Council on Exercise.

Step 3

Participate in 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. Once belly fat is gone, 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity is needed each week to maintain your current weight. If your physical activity is reduced by more than 30 minutes on most days of the week, you're likely to regain your belly. Moderate-intensity aerobic activities include a brisk walk, light jog, riding a bicycle and doing yard work.

Step 4

Strengthen your major muscle groups with resistance training. Increasing the size of your muscles increases your resting metabolic rate, so you're able to burn calories even while resting. Doing abdominal crunches and situps will increase the size of your abdominal muscles, but these exercises do not target abdominal fat. Some additional resistance-training exercises are pushups, lunges, squats and biceps curls. Do strength-training exercises two to three times per week, and be sure to rest the muscles at least 24 hours before performing additional strengthening.

Tip

Fast-food restaurants are tempting when you live on the go, but most menu items are high in calories and saturated fats. Pack a healthy meal and snacks to avoid these high-calorie traps.

If you eat three servings of something with 300 calories per serving, you're consuming 900 calories since you must multiple the calories per serving by three.

Fit in exercise throughout the day by taking the stairs or parking a block away from your destination.

References

About the Author

Melissa McNamara is a certified personal trainer who holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and communication studies from the University of Iowa. She writes for various health and fitness publications while working toward a Bachelor of Science in nursing.